Balance



Feb. 27, 1940. M. H. VAN H. BATTENBERG 2,191,635

BALANCE Filed May 29, 1936 Jew Patented Feb. 27, 1940 UNITED STATES!PATENT OFFICE This invention relates, to improvements in. bal-' ancesfor weighing, and one of the objects of the invention isv to, provide aconveniently portable balance, which, is particularly adapted, though i5; not necessarily limited in its use, for weighing the small beads orbuttons of: metal produced in blowpipe, or similar assays, and alsograinsor fragments of metal found in panning. by prospectors, withsufficient accuracy to permit a rea- L0,: sonably close estimate ofvalue in the field.

A further object is to provide in a balance of this character improvedmeans permitting adjustment or refinement, with variations in size,

for the higher accuracy desired in laboratory de terminations,particularly in checking rider weights against each other or against arider weight of standard value.

as will appear, the invention consists in the features of novelty insubstantially the construction, combination and arrangement of theseveral parts hereinafter more fully described and claimed and shown inthe accompanying drawing- 5. illustrating this invention, and inwhichFigure 1 is a side elevation, partly broken away,

of an improved balance of this character constructed in accordance withthe principles of this invention.

Figure 2 is a top plan view of Figure 1. Figure 3 is an end elevation ofFigure 1. Figure 4 is a view-taken online 44, Figure 2, on an enlargedscale. Figure 5 is a detailjperspective View, partly 8 broken away,showing the central portion of the balance and the supporting fulcrum,on an enlarged scale. Y

Figure 6 is a detail perspective view of one of the Vernier plates. AllvFigure 7 is adetail perspective view of one, of

' the supporting blocks for the Vernier plates.

Figure 8 is a detail perspective view of, a rider weight,

The balance consists essentially of a beam I0 which is preferably solidand is of any desired size and configuration, but is preferably round incross section so as to permit of an easy placement and adjustment of arider weight H thereupon.

At each end of the beam there is" preferably, I59v provided a depressionI2 which may be off any desired depth and configuration but ispreferably conical and forms a pan or receptacle toireceiveandautomatically center the object to be weighed arranged anydesireddistance apart, but the beam is preferably graduated into tenthson either side of the center of the-beam, the last graduation on eachside of the center or adjacent the extremities of the beam' being formedby the depression I 2.

The numeral M designates a bearing bar which is provided with a knifeedge l5 at the bottom thereof and a rounded surface 16 at the topthereof, andthis construction is preferable as'the distribution ofweight affects the balancing, the radius of the curved top beingpreferably struck from the knife edge.

The bearing baris provided with a depending v portion 11- having; anopening 18 therethrough and through which opening the beam l9 passes,

, a the opening I18 being of a size that the beam will To the attainmentof these ends and the -accomplishment of other new and useful objectsclosely fitthe san e, and the beam and the bearing bar are secured;together in any suitable manner, such as by means of a screw 19 passingthrough the bearingbar and contacting the beam. Anut or; collar 20: isthreaded upon the screw l9 and the latter projects for, any desireddistance above. the bearing bar so that the nut or collar ZB-may beadjusted, vertically with respect to the lit screw [9; and thereby varyor control the locatothe length of the beam and extends for any desireddistance on, each side thereof, the knife edges on each side of the beambeing located centrally with respect to the beam and also centrally withrelation to-the height. or diameter of the beam.

Passing also throughthe depending portion I! of the bearing bar,directly below and parallel with the beam H), a bar or member 2|. havingthreads thereon and this threaded bar, screw or member 2| passes througha threaded opening 22 in the depending portion, ll of the bearing barand may be provided at one end with a seat 23 for the reception of atool or implement for rotating the bar 2| so as to adjust the latter inthe direc-l tion of its longitudinal axis and also lengthwise of thebeam l0, so as to properly balance the beam, the member 2lserving as acounter-balancing screw for balancing the beam on its knife edge l5 as acheck on the construction and workmanship;

When assembling the balance, the bearing bar l4 carrying the knife edge[5 is assembled first with respect, to the beam 10 with the means foradjusting its balance. The set. screw I9 is then placed in position andadjusted to bind the beam and bearing bar together. The nut or collar 20is then adjusted, after which the counter-balancing screw or member 2|is adjusted.

Connected to each of the ends of the beam ID, in any desired or suitablemanner, is a Vernier plate 24, here shown as having a portion of theplate seated in a bifurcation in the end of the beam, and a fasteningdevice such as a rivet or other fastening means passes through the wallsof the bifurcation and through the Vernier plate 24.

The numeral 25 designates a fulcrum block.

which is preferably provided with two laterally spaced pillars 26, thetops of which are preferably hard and polished, and on these polishedsurfaces the knife edge ll: of the bearing bar l4 rests when the balanceis set up for use.

On the Vernier plates 24 at the ends of the beam are graduations 21 andwhich graduations are preferably spaced in sixteenths of an inch, and anindicating central pointer or indication 28 is provided on the Vernierplates to indicate the points on either side of which the reading is tobe taken.

The fulcrum block 25 is mounted upon a base 29 of any suitableconstruction and the two are secured together in any suitable manner asby means of fastening screws 30.

At the end of the base 29 and in proximity to the Vernier plates 24 atthe ends of the beam It, are arranged stationary Vernier plates 3|,which are preferably provided with a base 32 by means of which they maybe secured to the base 29 through the medium of fastening or anchorscrews 33, and interposed between the base 32 oi each of the Vernierplates 3| and the base 29 is a resilient element 34, such as rubber orthe like. The purpose of these resilient elements is to permit of alittle variation in the elevation of the Vernier plates 3| at the endsof the base 29 and in proximity to the Vernier plates 24, to bring theindexed graduations 21 on the Vernier plates 24 at the ends of the beamin line with the graduations 35 on the plates 3|, and this may beaccomplished by adjusting the anchor or fastening screws 33.

Obviously, spring metal or any other suitable means of adjustment may beprovided to accomplish this result.

The graduations 35 on the stationary Vernier plates 3! are disposedradially from the line of contact of the knife edge l5 of the bearingbar upon the fulcrums 26 and the spacing of the graduations 35 on theVernier plates 3i are preferably in twelfths of an inch, while thespacing of the graduations 21 on the Vernier plates 24 at the ends ofthe beam are preferably in sixteenths of an inch, both at the contactsends of the lines or graduations where they are read off. A centralindicating mark or character 36 is also provided on each of thestationary Vernier plates 31 to indicate the point from which thereadings are made on one side or the other of the indication 36.

Obviously, the Vernier plates at the ends of the base may be graduatedas desired, as may also the Vernier plates at the ends of the beam, and

the device may be made to read as closely as the workmanship willpermit.

In the present exemplification of the invention,

however, the Vernier graduation is roughly represented as four divisionson the beam end equal to three on the stationary Vernier plates, whichwill read to one-quarter of a division on the stationary plate. If thebeam is balanced and adjusted to move one division on the stationaryplate for onetenth of a milligram, it is possible, with the vernier toread to one-quarter of the tenth, or onefortieth of a milligram.

The adjustment for balancing the beam is made by varying the position ofthe counterbalance screw or member 2 l, and by varying its size andWeight the relations of the beam and counterbalance may be adjusted sothat the beam will be deflected a given distance by a given weight inthe pan or cavities I2, or by a rider weight on the beam. Obviously, thenut or collar 28 may be adjusted upon the screw l9 to vary the center ofgravity vertically of the assembled beam, after having established itscenter of gravity horizontally by the screw or member 2|, and thus varythe movement of the beam as delicately as workmanship will permit.

The movable Vernier plates 24 at the ends of the beam, as well as thestationary Vernier plates Eli are graduated to read either wayrespectively from the index lines 28 and 36, and together theyconstitute what is termed a folded Vernier".

While the preferred form of the invention has been herein shown anddescribed, it is to be understood that various changes may be made inthe details of construction and in the combination and arrangement ofthe several parts, within the scope of the claims, without departingfrom the spirit of this invention.

What is claimed as new is:

l. A balance for Weighing, embodying a beam, and Vernier graduations atboth ends of said beam.

2. A balance for weighing embodying an oscillatory beam, Verniergraduations at each end of the beam, a stationary plate at each end ofthe beam, and Vernier graduations on said plate adjacent which theVernier graduations at the respective ends of the beam are adapted to beread, one of the graduations on each of the plates marked as an index orpointer whereby a weight may be read by the oscillation of the beam andat each end of the beam.

3. A balance for weighing embodying a beam, a bar through which the beampasses, said bar extending for a substantial distance on opposite sidesof and being disposed at right angles to the beam, knife edges in saidbar, a vertical screw threaded into the bar to engage the beam andextending for a substantial distance above the beam, and a weightthreaded upon said screw and vertically adjustable thereon with respectto the beam, for varying the vertical center of gravity of the assembledbeam.

4. A balance for weighing embodying a beam, a bar secured to the beamfor adjustment length- Wise of the beam and projecting beyond bothsides, of the beam and at right angles thereto, knife edges on the barfor engaging a fulcrum, Vernier graduations at the ends of the beam,rider weight graduations on the beam extending lengthwise thereof onopposite sides of the knife edges, a stationary plate adjacent each endof the beam, Vernier graduations on the plates against which the Verniergraduations at the respective ends of the beam are adapted to be read,and recesses in the beam constituting receptacles for the article to beweighed.

5. A balance for weighing embodying a beam, a bar secured to the beamfor adjustment lengthwise of the beam and projecting beyond both sidesof the beam and at right angles thereto, knife edges on the bar forengaging a fulcrum, Vernier graduations at the ends of the beam, riderweight graduations on the beam extending lengthwise thereof on oppositesides of the knife edges, a stationary plate adjacent each end of thebeam, Vernier graduaticns on the plates against which the Verniergraduations at the respective ends of the beam are adapted to be read,and recesses in the beam constituting receptacles for the article to beweighed, the Vernier graduations on said stationary plates beingdispesed radially with respect to the point of the beam formed by saidknife edges on said fulcrums.

6. A balance for weighing embodying a beam, a bar secured to the beamfor adjustment lengthwise of the beam and projecting beyond both sidesof the beam and at right angles thereto, knife edges on the bar forengaging a fulcrum, Vernier graduations at the ends of the beam, riderweight graduations on the beam extending lengthwise thereof on oppositesides of theknife edges, a stationary plate adjacent each end of thebeam, Vernier graduations on the plates against which the Verniergraduations at the respective ends of the beam are adapted to be read,cushioning means beneath each of said stationary plates, and

fastening means passing through the base of each of the stationaryplates, said cushions, and into a support whereby the vertical positionof said stationary plates may be varied at will.

'7. A balance for weighing embodying a beam, a bar secured to the beamfor adjustment lengthwise of the beam and projecting beyond both sidesof the beam and at right angles thereto,

knife edges on the bar for engaging a fulcrum,

' spective ends of the beam are adapted to be read,

and recesses in the beam constituting receptacles for the article to beweighed, the Vernier graduations on said stationary plates beingdisposed radially with respect to the pivot point of the beam formed bysaid knife edges on said fulcrums, the Vernier graduations at the endsof said beam being arranged on plates and said plates being secured tothe ends of the beam and extending for a substantial distance above andbelow the beam.

MELVIN H. VAN H. BATTENBERG.

